Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation because it is God’s servant for your well-being. But be afraid if you do wrong because government does not bear the sword for nothing. It is God’s servant to administer punishment on the person who does wrong. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing. Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. Romans 13:1-7
Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 1 Peter 2:13-15
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, “that it will go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3
New English Translation
Scripture numerous times instructs people to obey and respect those in authority over them; whether that be parents or government. It’s easy to see the “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) aspect in respecting authority, yet we’re left with the burning question regarding times when the authority above you is wrong. You know, there are times when parents aren’t Christians and their children are, or when government leaders are secular. In those cases, sometimes they set expectations that are contrary to what God has said. That leaves us with a tricky situation to navigate, doesn’t it?
As we dive into this, it is important that we refresh ourselves on what it means to love God, considering that loving God is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-38). Loving God involves respecting Him and obeying Him (Deuteronomy 11:1). It’s a continuous circle of respecting God because you love Him and obeying Him because you respect Him. For a more in-depth look at this idea, check out What Is Love?, which digs deeper into the two greatest commandments.
With the idea of loving God in mind, let’s talk about obeying authority. First off, we know that obeying authority falls under both the first greatest commandment and the second. The reason we can come to this conclusion is because loving God involves obeying Him, and He did tell us through scripture to honor the authority above us. Additionally, honoring the authority above us is a form of showing respect (i.e. love) for others.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, whether they know it or not, the authority over you is under the authority of God and should be making sure that all their decisions are made with God’s morals and commands in mind. Unfortunately, many times that is not the case. Those moments are what we’re currently talking about.
Remember this, anything someone says or does that conflicts with something God has said is wrong and a rebellion against God’s plan. So, when the authority above you directly disobeys God, they’re acting in rebellion. To participate with them in that would mean you are also rebelling against God. Personally, I don’t consider that a prime space to be in.
Here’s the thing, yes, God commands us to obey the authority above us; however, at the end of the day, He is the final authority over everyone, meaning He gets to set the status quo. When the human authority above you defies God, you are no longer bound by their authority because they have already defied the final authority. Scripture says that you cannot serve two masters because you’ll love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24). When human authority is obeying God, then you’re not trying to serve two masters because they’re one authority – they’re on the same team! However, if human authority is not obeying God, then you’re left with the choice of whether you’ll obey God or obey man.
With everything in life, you are always choosing between what you want and God’s will. I try to put it in perspective by saying, “am I going to choose this/him/her/that or am I going to choose God?” It may seem extreme if you try to categorize your life by “spiritual” and “secular,” meaning you only let God touch what you think He should be allowed to touch. Yet, nowhere in scripture do we get any indication that there is such a separation of life. Knowing that all of life is God’s is the only reason we are able to navigate such challenging situations such as how to handle things when the human authority above you isn’t obeying God.
Now, let me make something clear, there is not obey respectfully because you want to obey God and then there is disobeying and being a butt about it. Every moment you are representing God, especially when you are standing up saying that you can’t obey because you want to honor God. Though it’s not true of God’s character, if you’re being disrespectful and defiant rather than politely disobeying, people will think that God is rude and mean. Don’t give God a bad name.
Take this understanding into every day: Life isn’t about you. You read that right. Life isn’t about you. Why do you think people living for themselves are always so miserable inside? Because they’re missing the whole point of living. Life is meant to be spent in relationship with God, allowing Him to help you through all the ups and downs and craziness that comes along the way. Remember, He’s the final authority, the one you should always obey no matter what.